Ornamental clip for hats

ABSTRACT

An ornamental clip is constructed from two separate curved pieces that interlock using corresponding dovetail edges to the edge of a baseball ball cap and are further secured by a thin fin portion of the sliding lock mechanism that sandwiches the inner lining of the cap with the opposing base portion of the clip.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is entitled to the benefit of Provision Patent Application Ser. No. 60/560,162 filed 2004 Apr. 7.

FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH

Not Applicable

SEQUENCE LISTING OR PROGRAM

Not Applicable

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION—FIELD OF INVENTION

This invention relates to baseball caps that are commonly worn by athletes while participating in sporting events to distinguish members of opposing teams. This invention also relates to baseball caps worn by the fans of a chosen sport to show their support of a specific team. Said baseball caps are limited in their ability to display any additional information or to display information differently than originally specified by their manufacturer.

There have been inventions prior to the present invention that have tried to resolve some of the above problems. U.S. Pat. No. 6,694,526 B1 to Tate Feb. 24 2004 shows a clip that can be fastened onto a baseball cap in a variety of positions. Said clip is limited to where it can be positioned on a baseball cap due to its shape. If said clip is positioned on the side of a baseball cap, it will create discomfort for the wearer of said cap. The structure of the clip also lends itself to be unintentionally removed or repositioned, which in most cases, is unwanted by the user of said clip. Said clip's method of attachment makes it an obvious addition to a baseball cap.

Other similar clips have been proposed. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,874,167 B1 to Leszczynski Apr. 5, 2005, discloses a clip that can be mounted on a hat in a variety of positions. A specific flag designed to display information is then attached to said clip. This method of adding information to be displayed on a baseball cap is valid; however, it creates an obvious distinction between said cap and said clip device. The structure of said clip device limits the use to specific hats due to variations on the size of baseball caps and their components. The use of said device on the side edges of a baseball cap is possible, but respectively, will alter the orientation of any information on the said flag of said device. For example, the proper orientation of a logo or symbol.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with the present invention, an ornamental clip for hats comprised of a unshaped component and a sliding component. The objects and advantages of the ornamental hat clip proposed in the present invention are, but not limited to:

1. To provide the user with an ornamental clip that is used to customize said user's hat, more specifically, a baseball cap of said user.

2. To provide an ornamental clip that has the ability to be manufactured with a variety of surface embellishments and colors.

3. To provide an ornamental clip that can be easily, securely and selectively attached to a wide variety of baseball caps.

4. To provide an ornamental clip that can be easily removed when need be from a baseball cap.

5. To provide an ornamental clip that is not an obvious attachment to a baseball cap.

6. To provide an ornamental clip that is comfortable to the user when respectively attached to the sides or back edges of a baseball cap.

7. To provide an ornamental hat clip that functions properly on its own or when used respectively with additional similar said clips in combination with a baseball cap.

Still further objects and advantages will become apparent from a consideration of the ensuing description and drawings.

DRAWINGS—FIGURES

FIG. 1 shows a front view of a u-shaped component of a preferred embodiment of the present invention

FIG. 2 shows a side view of said u-shaped component of the present invention

FIG. 3 shows a top view of said u-shaped component of the present invention

FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of said u-shaped component of the present invention

FIG. 5 shows a front view of a sliding component of the present invention

FIG. 6 shows a top view of said sliding component of the present invention

FIG. 7 shows a side view of said sliding component of the present invention

FIG. 8 shows a perspective view of the two components of the present invention while apart

FIG. 9 shows a schematic perspective view of the present invention secured to a baseball cap when the above two said parts are interlocked together.

FIG. 10 shows a schematic perspective view of the present invention as secured to a baseball cap in a normal manner and viewed from the inside of said cap

FIG. 11 shows a section view of the present invention secured to a baseball cap REFERENCE NUMBERALS  1 u-shaped component  2 embellished section  3 breech section  4 ribbed section  5 sliding component  6 positioning rods  7 arms  8 backfin  9 outer surface of cap 10 inner band of cap 11 baseball cap

DETAILED DESCRIPTION—PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The preferred embodiment of the present invention (ornamental clip for hats) is to injection mold two components that slide together thereby allowing the present invention to be secured to the side and/or back edges of a baseball cap.

Both parts of said ornamental clip are produced in a semi-rigid plastic. All edges of said clip are beveled or rounded to avoid snagging or personal injury. A preferred embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in FIG. 1. Said clip having an embellished section (2) as part of a u-shaped component (1) may differ from that shown. Said embellished section, in a preferred embodiment, is molded as the single number, letter, word, symbol, or logo. FIG. 2 shows a breech of the u-shaped component. Said breech is molded with a congruent curvature in relation to the embellished section (2). Said curvature is a necessity of the present invention as means for the embellished section (2) and the breech section (3) to conform to the shape of a baseball cap and allow for maximum comfort to the user while the present invention is used in a normal manner. FIG. 9 shows said curvature as how it aids in a uniform appearance of the present invention in combination with an outer surface (9) of a baseball cap (11). FIG. 9 also shows how said embellished section (2) is the only visible portion of the present invention when attached in a normal manor to a baseball cap that is then worn by a user. FIG. 3 shows a top view of said u-shaped body. a curvature of the adjacent inner faces of the embellished section (2) and the breech are shown. This is mainly an aesthetic detail but it also serves as a means for the present invention to comply with statements above pertaining to said clip not being an obvious attachment to a baseball cap. The top of the breech (3) is a ribbed section (4). Said ribbed section (4) is molded to mate with a sliding component (5) shown in FIG. 5. FIG. 5 shows said sliding component (3).The arms (7) of said sliding component join with said breech (3) in a dovetail configuration. Its vertical position is regulated by the alignment of positioning rods (6) and the ribbed section (4) thereby allowing the present invention to be properly secured to varying sized inner bands (10), as shown in FIG. 10, of a baseball cap (11). FIG. 6 shows the arms (7) of the sliding component (5) that aid in the securing of the present invention to a baseball cap. The arms (7) along with a backfin (8) are also molded to be congruent to the curvature of the breech (3) and the embellished section (2). This is also a necessary design element in the fact that it aids in the user's comfort and the overall appearance when used in a normal manner. The backfin (8) helps secure the present invention horizontally to a baseball cap while the positioning rods (6) and the arms (7) aid in securing the present invention vertically when used in a normal manner.

In use, the present invention is selectively placed on the side and/or back edge of a hat. More specifically, it is placed on a baseball cap to customize the look and graphic information displayed on said cap. The preferred embodiment of the embellished section (2). The use may differ from that shown in the illustrations. For example, the illustrated preferred embodiment in FIG. 8 shows the present invention with the embellished section (2) molded as a numeral. The user can customize one's cap using the present invention to display said number or any combination of numbers using similar versions of the present invention. A set of 10 variations of this preferred embodiment would only have different embellished sections (2). All other above mentioned portions and components would stay the same. said embellished sections can also be manufactured to show any number, letter, word, symbol, logo, image etc.

Furthermore, the preferred embodiment above, has the additional advantages in that

8. it allows the use of the present invention on its own or in combination with several other similar said clips without effecting comfort of user

9. it can be easily produced in a wide variety of colors

10. it can be used in combination with a baseball cap without damaging the material on the cap

11. it can easily be secured and removed from a cap at the user's discretion 12. it can selectively be placed in various positions around the sides and back edges of a baseball cap

13. it can be used, in one instance, by a sports fan to show support of a specific player by means of displaying their number on the user's cap; or used in a similar fashion by the athlete, more specifically, a baseball player, to visually distinguish his cap from others

Although the description above contains many specificities, these should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention, but as merely providing illustrations of some of the presently preferred embodiments of this invention.

Thus the scope of the invention should be determined by the appended claims and their legal equivalents, rather than by the examples given. 

1. In combination: A baseball cap having a brim and apex and an inner band, An ornamental hat device having a base with a sliding fastener attached thereto and a curved exposed surface bearing embellishments and an opposing congruently curved undersurface at which said base portion is removably secured by said sliding fastener to said baseball cap:
 2. The device of claim 1 wherein said undersurface of said base includes an outer dovetail edge.
 3. The device of claim 1 wherein said sliding fastener includes a thin curved structure with an inner dovetail edge congruent to that of said structure of said base and a thin congruently curved fin structure extending past said inner dovetail edge.
 4. A combination according to claim 2&3 whereby said outer dovetail edge of said base interlocks with said inner dovetail edge of said sliding fastener such that said base and said sliding fastener are frictionally coupled together to secure said base's position on said baseball cap and further secured whereby said curved fin structure of said sliding fastener sandwiches said inner band of said baseball cap with said curved undersurface of said base. 